Current smartphone and other mobile computing devices (MCD), such as tablets, and gaming devices include internal electronics and architectures that enable the MCD to perform multiple data intensive functions. For example, connecting to cellular and wireless networks, connecting to global positioning systems GPS), and displaying cinema-like video. One of the by-products of these data intensive functions is the generation of heat in the internal electronic components. Nevertheless, the MCD has generally been designed to dissipate this internal heat by relying on its physical architecture such that the MCD's material structure collects and spreads the heat and then dissipates it to the ambient external air. This method of cooling is considered as “passive.”
One physical drawback of a smartphone can be its small display screen. As such, some smartphone manufacturers have offered an accessory for docking with the smartphone. The accessory provides an enhanced user interface via a larger and higher resolution display, a larger input area (via a physical keyboard, or touchscreen, or mouse/touchpad), and perhaps a larger battery or power supply. Consequently, these additional features have been compared to a conventional laptop computer, therefore, the accessory has been termed “lapdock” in that it may comprise a display and keypad, but no processing capability, because the processing function resides in the smartphone. Nevertheless, once the smartphone and the lapdock are mated or docked together the passive cooling method of the smartphone can be severely deficient and at least inefficient, due to possible additional loading imposed by one or more lapdock-based applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus that employs supplemental cooling of a docked mobile device.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.